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Chapter Six

I f he'd considered his conversation with his aunt at the bank odd, thought Will, sitting in the library at Hawksley House, nursing a glass of whisky and staring broodingly into the fire, it had been nothing compared to the way in which the rest of the day had turned out.

Today was, without exception, the strangest, most surreal day he'd ever had and he wasn't sure he wanted to experience one like it ever again.

He'd had enough mind-boggling revelations and gutchurning trips down memory lane to last a lifetime.

And as for the tangled financial mess his aunt had created, well, that had taken hours to unravel.

God only knew what sort of trouble she could have ended up in if he hadn't found out what she'd been up to.

And somewhere muddled up in it all there was Bella.

Aware that his hand had tightened around the glass, Will set it on a side table before it shattered and rubbed a hand over his face.

When he'd woken up this morning he'd never in a million years have imagined that she would have slammed into his life.

But she had. Like a tornado, whipping around, lifting everything up, churning it around and then dropping it back down in a chaotic jumble.

She'd been unexpected. Incredible. And as sexy as hell.

If his body weren't still throbbing with the after-effects of the mind-blowing interlude on the back seat of his car he'd never have believed it had happened.

But the ever present image of her writhing on top of him, rocking back and forth, biting on her lip and moaning told him it had been all too real.

He might not wish to experience a day like today ever again, but he had every intention of experiencing her again.

Will ground his teeth and tried to drag his aching body back under control.

How in God's name was he going to be able to wait until Saturday?

In fact why was he waiting until Saturday?

Why on earth wasn't he taking her out for dinner tomorrow?

So he'd arranged to have a drink with Alex, but he could easily postpone it.

He was pretty sure that Alex, himself totally besotted with his fiancée, would understand.

There was no need to suffer this agony any longer than was necessary.

He levered himself to his feet to retrieve his phone from his desk where he'd emptied his pockets earlier and then stopped, frowned and fell back down, his blood turning to ice.

What the hell did he think he was doing?

Since when had he contemplated ditching a friend for a woman?

And since when had he brought forward a date because he couldn't wait?

Where had his self-control gone? And more disturbingly, where had the idea that he might be besotted with Bella come from?

He couldn't be besotted with her. He'd only just met her.

Besides he didn't get besotted. Ever. Will let out a growl of frustration.

He'd wait until Saturday because he had to.

Because that was the plan. Because he wasn't besotted.

And because he had gallons of self-control. Somewhere.

The sound of his mobile ringing jerked him out of his thoughts and he jumped to his feet and snatched it up before he could analyse the sharp stab of hope that it might be Alex cancelling. 'Hello?'

'Will?'

At the sound of Bella's voice on the other end of the line, Will's pulse leapt and his blood began to simmer as the desire gripping his insides intensified.

Maybe she didn't want to wait either. Maybe she was as much at the mercy of this as he was.

In fact, now he'd dealt with the havoc Caroline had wreaked on her finances, maybe he could invite her round right now.

Or head over to hers. He wasn't fussy. Just weirdly desperate to see her again.

'Who else?' he said, reining in his raging libido and telling himself to cool it.

'Of course.' He could hear the smile in her voice and his stomach flipped.

'What can I do for you?' he said, and rather hoped she was going to tell him exactly what he could do for, and to, her.

He heard her take a deep breath. Imagined her running a hand through her hair. Imagined running his hands through it again and felt his pulse spike.

'I'm calling to cancel our date.'

And then it slowed right down. All the heat and desire dwindled away and Will went strangely cold.

What? Why would she want to cancel their date?

'I see,' he said, thinking that actually he didn't see at all.

She'd seemed pretty keen earlier, moments after she'd come apart in his arms. 'Any particular reason?

' he added, aiming for a nonchalance he certainly didn't feel.

'I'm busy on Saturday.'

Hmm. Will threw himself into the chair behind the desk and picked up the crystal paperweight blinking at him in the firelight.

That was annoying, but fair enough. Perhaps, like him, she hadn't been thinking all that clearly at the time.

And they hadn't exactly whipped out their diaries to coordinate. 'Then another day,' he said.

'I don't think so.'

'Why not?'

'I just don't think it's going to work out.'

Unable to glare at her, Will glared at the paperweight.

How the hell did she know that? She hadn't given it a chance.

And what was there to work out anyway? The only thing they had to worry about was sexual compatibility, and there was absolutely no problem on that front.

At the memory of just how sexually compatible they were, a bolt of lust tore through him as sharp and jagged as lightning, and he dropped the paperweight. On his toe.

Wincing at the pain, Will scowled, bent down to pick it up and put it back on the desk.

'Are you all right?'

The concern tingeing her voice irritated him even more. 'Fine. Just great.' He ground his teeth. 'What makes you think it wouldn't work out?'

A pause. 'I just know.'

He went still as a thought flashed across his mind. 'Are you involved with someone else?'

'Of course not. Do you really think I'd do what I did if I was?'

'I don't know, do I? I don't know you. You aren't allowing me the chance.'

'Well, I wouldn't.'

She sounded outraged and Will made himself calm down. Not everyone had infidelity forever at the forefront of their mind. 'No. Sorry.'

'Would you ?'

A chill rippled through him. 'No.'

'Well, then.'

'So?' What was her problem? God, he wished he could see her face.

'It's really nothing,' she said, irritatingly coolly. 'Like I said, I just don't think it would work out, that's all.'

Will frowned as his stomach churned. With pique, of course, because he couldn't remember the last time a woman had cancelled a date with him. Women generally didn't. So why was Bella giving up on them before they'd even started? And why did he even care?

He narrowed his eyes and switched his brain into gear. This was nuts. Why was he worrying about this? So what if the fact that she'd reduced the episode in his car to a one-night stand left a bad taste in his mouth? If it didn't bother her why did it have to bother him?

Setting his jaw, he pulled himself together. He hadn't begged for a date in his life, and he wasn't about to start now. 'Fine,' he said, as if he couldn't care one way or the other. 'If that's what you want, fine.'

'Oh,' she said, sounding faintly taken aback at his capitulation. Ha. As if he was going to put up a battle. 'Well. Good. No hard feelings?'

His whole body tightened as the memory of exactly how hard she'd got him feeling smacked him around the head, and for a split second he wanted, no, yearned , to fight that battle.

And then he ruthlessly stamped it all back down, because that kind of perverse way of thinking would lead to nothing but the sort of complications in his life that he really didn't need.

Nevertheless… 'Bad choice of words, Bella. '

Another pause.

'I see,' she said. 'Yes. Sorry… Well, then, goodbye.'

'Goodbye,' he said curtly, and hung up.

Maybe it was for the best, he thought, tossing his phone on the desk in frustration. If simply cancelling their date had this effect on his equilibrium, imagine what else she could achieve.

In fact, he ought to be glad that she'd put an end to their acquaintance.

The last thing he needed right now was a woman playing havoc with his head.

Not that they ever did, of course. It was probably the fact that he'd been too busy to go out with a woman in the last couple of months that was messing with his mind.

Yes, that was undoubtedly it, he thought, snatching his phone back up and scrolling through his list of contacts.

What the hell. If he wanted a date he knew plenty of women who'd be only too pleased to hear he was back in the country and free on a Saturday night.

There was nothing special about Bella.

Absolutely nothing special about her at all.